Chicago CHR Wars - WYTZ Z95 vs WBBM-FM B96
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- Опубліковано 22 жов 2024
- Contained on the same cassette side as our previous video, here's Z95 attempting to dethrone B96. Its the most bizzare thing- listening to this 3 minute scope you'll hear more imaging mentioning B96 than Z95.
There are some explanations as to why ABC decided to change call letters from WLS-FM to WYTZ and most of them center around the station needing to be a more up-tempo, hotter version of the format in order to better compete with B96. If you listen closely, you'll notice the music is very rhythmic oriented. Z95 was a dance station!
Of course, 95.5 would go through more format changes including young talk, Oldies and Classic Hits as it is today. You can read more about the history of WLS AM and FM at Scott Childers' wlshistory.com.
OMG I so remember this! Brought back so many memories. You should just let the tape run and digitize it with the music I’d love to hear it.
0:25 my God……seeing that old B96 logo immediately zapped me right back to my childhood in the early 1990’s.
I thought it was brilliant when they asked listeners "tune into B96 now and you'll hear a commercial - we play more music than B96"
Before I get flamed, I was thinking of the next aircheck WPLJ when I was building this visual. WLS-FM, as was WYTZ, is on 94.7. Sorry bout that slip!
Did Z95 have a weekend mix show?
I don't recall that they ever did as Z95. Eventually the station rebranded briefly as "Hell 94.7" and then "Hot 94.7" and went directly head to head with B96 playing a full rotation of dance music. I want to say they aired some mixshows during that period, but I can't remember for sure.
No
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FYI, 1) B96 was the more dance/Rythmic focused station than Z95. They even had mix parties and dance shows (particularly on the weekend). Wasn't Julian Jumpin' Perez one of B's mix DJ's?? Z95 had none of this and did a little of everything. Rock, Hair bands, mainstream Top 40, a little dance, etc... 2) WLS-FM has NEVER had their calls on 95.5. 94.7 (WLS) was an ABC affiliated station, now Cumulus. 95.5 around this time was Metromedia IIRC and is now iheart. Around the time WLS became WYTZ (Z95), 95.5 was WMET (The "Mighty Met"), WRXR for a short period, then became WNUA smooth jazz for the longest time with a brief sting as a mexican/spanish station, before being flipped to WEBG (a country competitor for WUSN), and is now currently WCHI, a rock station again.
Why was this happening? Lol what was the beef? 😂
Because it was a competition for the CHR nut here in Chicago at the time in the late 80's/early 90's and the two stations were pretty much in a battle. B96 was the established CHR station with a more rhythmic/dance leaning mix, whereas Z95 (WYTZ) was the newcomer to the format after they switched from being a simulcast of their 890 AM station. Z95 had a broader music selection playing a little more of the rock. hair bands, more of the mainstream top 40, etc, than B96 did. I actually preferred Z95. While B96 enjoyed years of success with Eddie and JoBo in the morning, and then had Bubba the Love Sponge at some point in time in the evenings, Z95 was a little wilder, especially in the evening. Barsky in the morning was replaced with Welch and Woody, then you had Steven Craig afternoon drive IIRC, and then "Crazy Man" Alan Kabel in the evenings. When Alan Kabel left, Craig took over evenings. It was a wild time in this format here. Fast forward now, B96 is a shell of it's former self and Kiss-FM (WKSC) on 103.5 takes their lunch money and have been for years.